The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-08-17
AN INTERESTING ANALYSIS.
COMMUNICATED.

" hN'NN' Ni'i'5 WV hS"iN9 WIN
simply approximate accuracy, Of
800 registered voters, 2S0 have
joined the Reform Club. OF these,
40 voted last night. OF the Ito
who did not vote, about half we're
Portuguese; the other half, So, were
citizens who would not take the
trouble to attend and vote at a
primary ward meeting. OF the 10
voting last night, about 40 voted
the straight ticket, written ballot
of II names that some persons had
taken the trouble to prepare. The
names were fairly representative of
the various interests of the residents
according to nationality, occupation,
social position, etc. Personally, a
voter might have q grudge against
this or that nominee; or would have
preferred different nomination in
one or two individual instances. 1t
was evidently a movement under the
inspiration of the young men; and
some old veterans were shelved who
might fairly have received nomi-
nation. But that it was sufficiently
representative, is evident from the
large number who voted the straight
ticket. 1t was thought it might
have been so acceptable, as to be
carried by reclamation. But this
did not prove to be so; and ballot
being demanded, other nominations
were declared to be in order. Only
two additional names were proposed.
But il was evident from the vote,
that to one Of the Portuguese there
wa some opposition from rival can
didate, although no open nomination
had been made. of the 60 scratched
tickets, 20 were from this oppo-
sition group; 25 from the usual in-
dependent" set of voters; Is from
Hawaiians who voted principally for
another somewhat prominent Ha=
waiian, rather than for the nominee
of the straight ticket; though it
would seem as if the few IIawaiians
who voted, amused themselves by
voting for one another. There are
only about GO Hawaians resident in
the ward, and probably only 20
have joined the club; the other 40
constitute the registered voters in
the ward, who have not joined the
club. There are about lao Portu-
guese voters, one half of the whole
membership of this club. But they
were content to have three repre-
sentatives in the Nominating Con-
vention, rather than send more, who
would not probably have the ability
to secure so well the great objects
of this reform movement, an honest
and honorable government, with
equal rights and fair chance for
all. The voting was as fair as could
be, and these reform clubs with this
rough-hewn fashion of getting at the
popular sentiment, constitute an
education IN itself, supplementary to
and preparatory for the exercise of
the right of suffrage in carrying out
the modern idea of government of
the people for the people by the
people. There were ten Portuguese
who offered to vote, whose names
could not be found ON the register
of the club, and who consequently
lost their chance. Four Portuguese
had identical names, but were per-
sonally known to the canvassers as
different individuals. Some of the
Hawaiians had some difficulty in
getting chance to vote, because of
the possibility of registering their
names under different letters of the
alphabet, as personal names, or
family names, or with or without the
article prefixed. Two thirds of the
Hawaiians, when asked to join the
club, fatty refused, "Me no want, ;"
partly from some superstitious anti
patty to telling their names, partly
from the customary national indis-
position to make trouble or to take
trouble. 1t is evident that the
political clubs are, as yet, too much
machinery and system to suit the
average Hawaiian voter, where the
simple rule heretofore has been to
play at the game of "Follow my
leader too often with the gin bot
Tie as the lure to his motley follow
ing. The Hawaiian voters are more
likely to come into the reform move
ment, il at first they are left, as a
general thing, to the freer move
ment of omen nominations and